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10 Questions with ... Joe Breezy
October 11, 2022
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I started off as an intern at Wild 94.9 (KYLD) in San Francisco and eventually made my way on-air and hosted nights. I've been lucky enough to be on-air at KHTS in San Diego, KDON in Monterey, KUDL & KZZO in Sacramento and KKFR in Phoenix to name a few. I wanted to get into Programming and I had the opportunity to do so in Atlanta, Boston and now in Nashville. I was also fortunate enough to get picked up by United Stations to host a syndicated show and now I'm with them on Open House Party.
1. How would you describe your first radio gig?
It was absolutely a dream come true. Literally, to be on the street team at Wild in San Francisco was one of the best times of my life. I was lucky enough to build a strong foundation and learn about the business, from the best in the business. Anything from slapping stickers on cars, to rocking the mic at events and shows, I was down for all of it. Just like a lot of us in the industry, I would work double and triple shifts for free, answer phones for the jocks, file CD's (yes, CD's) whatever it took…I was all in! The relationships and friendships I built still hold strong to this day. A true radio family and I'm very fortunate.
2. What led you to a career in radio?
I was the kid who would call radio stations and request songs, win prizes, and my parents would drive me to remotes to meet the jocks. I'm a proud radio nerd and have been my entire life so I felt a calling since the beginning.
3. What is it like for you to still be able to hit the studio every day and do your afternoon show?
I still get a rush of excitement before every show even after all of these years. To be able to connect and engage with our audience is a privilege. Even on bad days, I try to keep things in perspective. Plus, that feeling when you hit the post on a live talk break will never go away! Best feeling ever.
4. Who would be a "dream guest" to have sit in with you on your show?
I'll get some eye rolls for this one, but I'd say Kanye West. I interviewed him back in the day, and needless to say a lot has changed since. I would love to dive in and see how his mind really operates first hand. Challenge him and see where it goes. Even if he storms out of the studio or if the interview falls flat, there's no doubt you'll get crazy publicity from it. Can't be mad at that!
5. Like everyone else you're a multi-tasker, hosting the Sunday edition of "Open House Party." How much fun is that for you?
A ton of fun!! The show is legendary and has a rich history of winning, so every week I do my best to keep the tradition and excitement of what the brand means. Kannon and the entire crew at OHP are all OG pros, and it's something that I am truly humbled to be a part of.
6. You also recently joined Nashville's ABC-TV affiliate WKRN-TV as the Pop Culture correspondent for their daily entertainment show. How's that going so far?
So far, so good!! I have a lot to learn, as TV in my opinion is a whole different animal. It's kind of an extension of what we do as on-air personalities, but the undertaking and the skillsets needed are different, so it's definitely a work in progress for me. Luckily, I work with extremely knowledgeable folks at WKRN-TV (including my lovely wife :) and the content of the show is super fun and upbeat. It's been a very exciting new project for me.
7. No question – like everything else, ours is an always changing industry. How you're staying in touch musically and culturally for Hot?
We all know the way our audience receives their music and content has totally changed over the years. In Nashville, it's something where I can have both Morgan Wallen and Nicki Minaj in power. Play Adele and Sia, as well as Future and David Guetta. At the end of the day, we're all competing for listeners' time and attention. Knowing that, it's really up to us to capture the moments. I do my best to really look at the lifestyles of our listeners too. Of course, the music and songs they prefer are at the top of the list, but also where they shop, where do they go when they want to have fun, what experiences can we give them that money can't buy? What content creators do they love on socials? It's all fluid and changes very quickly so we have to be willing to adapt on the fly and hopefully get ahead of it as well.
8. What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
Work hard and be nice to everyone. It's a simple concept and could be the real difference maker in having a successful career and being happy or not.
9. What was your favorite station(s) to listen to when you were a kid? Jock(s)?
Again, I'm a total radio nerd and have been since I was a kid, so I'm going old school here. I grew up listening to KWSS, KOME and Hot 97.7 in San Jose, CA. When those stations flipped formats, I was all about Wild and KMEL. That was a legendary rivalry back in the day and on the streets. Jock-wise, the Doghouse, Chuy Gomez, St. John, Renee Taylor, Strawberry, Dr. Dave, Victor Zaragoza, Kid Carson (Carson Daly) and Sway to name a few.
10. Who were your mentors? Who would you say has influenced your career the most?
I've been very lucky to have some great mentors over the years, and still keep in touch with to this day. My Operations Manager, Barbara Bridges, is one of the smartest and most encouraging leaders I've worked for. My GM Mary Kay Wright is right up there, Michael Wright, Jeff McCarthy and whole leadership team at my company are so great at everything they do. Others include Steve Salhany, Jazzy Jim, Michael Martin, Sam Segovia, Joe Grande, JB Wilde, Chad Rufer, Rob Wagman, Dan Mason, Dennis Martinez, Bruce St. James. They're all rock stars to me and I try to pass on the knowledge I've learned to our team daily. I'm also a firm believer that you don't have to be a manager to be a leader. True leaders can influence and encourage without a title. Therefore, empowering my staff as much possible is something I make a priority. After all, we're all here to win and have fun! And we have a blast competing every day!
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